


A Deeper Cut

by Officialstevenstone (orphan_account)



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Blood, Growing Up, M/M, Pining, Unrequited Love, blood oath
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-18
Updated: 2015-09-18
Packaged: 2018-04-21 07:42:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4820945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Officialstevenstone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Several snapshots of a pining Link -<br/><em>"A moment of love, a dream, a laugh, a kiss, a cry, our rights, our wrongs."</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	A Deeper Cut

**Author's Note:**

> I was listening to ["Sweet Disposition"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxKjOOR9sPU) by The Temper Trap and proceeded to write this over the course of three class periods. I'd suggest listening to it while you read, but you won't miss anything if you don't!
> 
> Thank you to my wonderful beta, [Grace](http://archiveofourown.org/users/generally).

_A Moment of Love_

Blood welled up in Link’s palm, warm and red in the afternoon sun. He did his best to ignore the cut’s incessant sting, to ignore the nausea that made his stomach twist and turn at the carnal sight of his split skin.

This was for Rhett, for them. He had to be strong.

Holding his hand up, finger curled forward slightly, Link let himself dare to meet Rhett’s gaze for the first time since they agreed to do this. Green eyes bore into his as their palms met, heat-slicked flesh sliding against one another before they got a solid grip.

Link felt the wound gush as Rhett held his hand with almost crushing strength, their blood mixing and trailing down their wrist in small trickles. They were brothers now; bound together under the promise that they would do something great.

The sky was blue, their palms a mess of blood that was no longer just one or the other’s, but _theirs_. Surprisingly, Link didn’t mind the dizzyness or the lingering smell of iron. He watched the sun slant across Rhett’s face, and for the first time in his life, everything felt right.

_A Dream_

It always started the same way it ended, with a smile.

Soft, lingering touches trailed across Link’s body, sending sparks up his spine and making him sigh in pleasure and relief. They were together here, curled up in a stark white bed that seemed endless, stretching to oblivion on either side of them. Rhett’s fingers traced patterns across Link’s chest and shoulders, and Link would bring his left hand up to cup Rhett’s cheeks gently, like he was afraid he’d break Rhett with even the slightest brush of skin. There was no ring on his finger.

“I love you.”

Rhett smiled and leaned into Link’s touch. He didn’t answer. He never did.

_A Laugh_

It was easy to laugh when they were together. It was infectious, starting with a smug smirk and quickly transforming into tear-filled eyes and heaving chests, each fighting desperately to get air to their lungs as they doubled over.

But it never hurt, never left Link aching and sore like a good laugh normally does - only content. He would grin until he couldn’t get his smile any wider, bright blue eyes trailing Rhett’s face as he threw his head back in sheer joy, voice booming loud. His cheeks would flush the prettiest shade of pink, the kind Link had thought was only reserved for painted sunsets and petals covered in morning dew.

Link craved to pull Rhett’s face to his and, well, maybe it did hurt a little.

_A Kiss_

“You may kiss the bride.”

Link didn’t dare look away. He mustered up the biggest smile he could and let out a loud cheer.

He hoped it didn’t sound as forced as it felt.

_A Cry_

Christy loved him. Told him as often as she could, with a tender expression and eyes that spoke only the truth. And Link loved her too, he really did. He wouldn’t have married her otherwise.

He tells her this when she’s drying his tears, thumb running along his cheek and catching the small droplets in their tracks.

“I know, baby, I know. I’ve never doubted that for a second.” Her voice was as soft as her touches, barely above a whisper. “You always did have to have the whole world.”

Link doesn’t know how he got so lucky, how he managed to fall in love with such an understanding, caring women. She was too good to him, too good _for_ him.

He turned his head and pressed a small kiss against her open palm. There was no raised scar under his lips, no rough callouses that spoke of memories long forgotten. Link let his eyes slide shut and thanked God for what he had.

_Our Rights_

“You and me, brother.”

Rhett was wearing sunglasses, eyes obscured and face directed towards the road in front of them. Link stirred some, blinking the lingering bits of sleep away and glancing to the figure on his left.

“Hm?” He hummed before yawning. He didn’t remember falling asleep.

“We made it. We filled the pact together.”

“I guess we did.”

“Wanna stop for some food?”

Link smiled. Typical Rhett, so sentimental one moment and talking about something as mundane as food the next. He stretched, backing popping a few times as he let the words hang in the air briefly.

“Of course,” he replied after a pause, smile turning a little wicked. “ _Together._ ”

Laughter filled the cab of the moving van, loud and ringing and familiar.

_Our Wrongs_

“Do you think things could have turned out differently?”

The sun warmed Link’s face, the fabric of the blanket beneath them tickling the back of his neck.

“What do you mean?”

Their children shriek with joy only a few feet away. Well, not _their_ kids, but the children they had on their own. One of the few things they’d done that didn’t involve each other.

“I don’t know, like if we didn’t meet or something. Or we hadn’t become friends like we did.”

“Well, yeah, lots of things could have been different. Why’re you asking me this kinda stuff, man?”

Link let his eyes slide shut. Rhett felt warm and safe on the picnic blanket next to him, their wives chatting quietly beside them.

“No reason, I guess. Just a random thought.”

“You regrettin’ our friendship all of a sudden?”

Rhett’s voice was teasing, filled with the transcendent affection that Link had come to terms with, was grateful for.

“Of course not.”

“Good. You can’t get rid of me now, anyway.”

Link snorted. “You’re lucky I love you, brother.”

Rhett shook with muffled laughter, drawing a content smile to Link’s face. He didn’t need to open his eyes to think of the pretty pink petals, but his chest didn’t ache anymore.

“Yeah, I love you too, brother.”

The wind ruffled Link’s hair, cool against his skin, and for a moment he felt blood pooling in his closed palm, dripping between his fingers and sinking into the dry earth below.

There was no sting this time.


End file.
